CHICAGO - Off to the best start in the program's history, the women's soccer team travels to Memphis and UAB this weekend for a pair of Conference USA matches.
CHICAGO – Winners of six of their last seven matches, the DePaul women’s soccer team travels to Memphis and UAB this weekend for a pair of Conference USA matches. DePaul and Memphis tangle at 7:30 p.m. on Friday before the Blue Demons move onto to Birmingham to play UAB at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The club enters the weekend at 6-2-0 overall and 2-0-0 in league play while Memphis is 1-4-3 and 0-1-1, and UAB stands at 6-2-0 and 2-0-0.
Noting the Blue Demons
DePaul’s 6-2-0 start is the best in the program’s eight seasons… the 2-0-0 beginning in C-USA play is also a program first… they have outscored their opponents, 14-4, with five shutouts… DePaul’s single-season record is six shutouts set last year… the Blue Demons have not allowed a goal in the second half of any match this season, outscoring their opponents 10-0… they have also taken 137 shots compared to 91 for the opposition… Julianne Sitch leads the club and Conference USA with 16 points and seven goals… on DePaul’s 14 goals, there have been 11 assists… in addition to Sitch, six other players have scored at least one goal this season… freshman Lauren Spacht is second on the team with seven points on a pair of goals and three assists… the Blue Demons play the next six games on the road… they play four of the last five at Wish Field… in non-conference matches over the last three seasons, DePaul is 17-7… all time in Conference USA play (seven years), the club holds a 12-55-6 record… head coach John Wilson is in his fourth season with the Blue Demons.
Sitch Earns Recognition
After setting DePaul’s single-season scoring record as a freshman, Julianne Sitch hasn’t missed a step through eight matches in 2003. The midfielder/forward has twice been named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week while also garnering National Elite Team of the Week honors from Soccer Buzz. Sitch is the only player in the league to garner Player of the Week recognition on more than one occasion. She leads the league in points, goals and game-winning goals and is ranked second in shots.
Through 27 career matches, she is tied for the program’s career scoring record with 37 points. In the 2-0 win over TCU, Sitch’s goal set a new career goal scoring record at DePaul with 15.
Conference USA Offensive Players of Week
Sept. 2 – Meghan McCallion, So., F, East Carolina & Jessica Traver, Fr., F, Tulane
Sept. 8 – Julianne Sitch, So., MF/F, DePaul & Carolyn Klopp, Sr., MF/F, Marquette
Sept. 15 – Nikki Hawkins, Jr., MF, Houston & Lindsay Morris, Jr., F, Tulane
Sept. 22 – Julianne Stich, So., MF/F, DePaul & Jill Knottek, Sr., F, UAB
Conference USA Defensive Players of the Week
Sept. 2 – Leah Peterson, Fr., D, Tulane
Sept. 8 – Katie Bissen, Jr., GK, Marquette
Sept. 15 – Penny Perrott, Sr., D, East Carolina
Sept. 22 – Kara Kornfeld, Jr., D, Saint Louis
Ranked in the Region
For the first time in the program’s eight-year history, the DePaul women’s soccer team is ranked in the Great Lakes region by Soccer Buzz. The Blue Demons were posted at No. 9 in the Great Lakes region by the online soccer magazine while the nation’s No. 2 team Notre Dame remained in the region’s top slot. Marquette follows DePaul in the Great Lakes region at No. 10 after being ranked eighth last week. Saint Louis is 10th in the Central region while East Carolina is receiving votes in the Southeast region.
Soccer Buzz Great Lakes Region Top 10
1. Notre Dame (7-0-1)
2. Ohio State (6-0-1)
3. Purdue (6-1-1)
4. Illinois (5-2-1)
5. Michigan State (5-2-0)
6. Wisconsin (5-3-1)
7. Dayton (4-3-1)
8. Northwestern (4-3-0)
9. DePaul (6-2-0)
10. Marquette (4-3-1)
DePaul’s record when…
playing at home: 3-0-0
playing on the road: 3-2-0
playing on a neutral field: 0-0-0
playing during the day: 5-1-0
playing at night: 1-1-0
the match goes to overtime: 0-0-0
the match is decided by one goal: 2-2-0
the match is decided by two goals: 3-0-0
the match is decided by three goals: 0-0-0
the match is decided by four or more goals: 1-0-0
DePaul takes more shots: 5-2-0
opponent takes more shots: 1-0-0
DePaul takes a penalty kick: 0-0-0
opponent takes a penalty kick: 0-0-0
Conference Breakdown
In their 10 non-conference matches, the Blue Demons will face teams from six different conferences. Listed below is a look at DePaul’s record against each of those Division I conferences in 2003:
Big Ten: 0-1-0
Big 12: 1-1-0
Conference USA: 2-0-0
Horizon: 1-0-0
Mid-American: 1-0-0
Missouri Valley: 1-0-0
Mountain West: 0-0-0
Independents: 0-0-0
Overall Record: 6-2-0
In the Conference USA Rankings (as of Sept. 24)
Team Rankings
Shots – 2nd (137)
Points – T4th (39)
Goals – 4th (14)
Assists – T5th (11)
Goals Allowed – 2nd (4)
Goals Against Average – 2nd (0.50)
Saves – T9th (32)
Shutouts – T1st (5)
Corners – 1st (44)
Shots
2. Julianne Sitch – 37
Points
1. Julianne Sitch – 16
Goals
1. Julianne Sitch – 7
Assists
T4. Lauren Spacht – 3
Game-Winning Goals
T1. Julianne Sitch – 4
Goals Against Average
2. Lindsey Deason – 0.50
Save Percentage
2. Lindsey Deason - .882
Saves
5. Lindsey Deason – 30
Shutouts
1. Lindsey Deason – 5
Scouting the Weekend Opponents
Memphis – The Lady Tigers enter Friday’s match at 1-4-3 overall and 0-1-1 in Conference USA play… junior forward Yuiko Konno leads the club with eight points on four goals… overall, Memphis has been outscored, 17-9, in their eight matches… last weekend, the opened league play with a 1-1 draw at Louisville and a 2-1 loss at Cincinnati… head coach Brooks Monaghan is in his fourth season at Memphis… they wrap up the weekend with a Sunday afternoon match against Marquette… the series: Memphis leads the series, 3-2-1… DePaul opened the series in 1996 with a 3-1 win at Wish Field… the Lady Tigers have won the last two meetings with a 2-0 shutout in 2000 and a 1-0 win in 2001… the two teams did not play each other last year.
UAB – UAB enters the weekend at 6-2-0 and 2-0-0… along with DePaul and Marquette, the Blazers are the only undefeated teams in C-USA action… Cincinnati visits UAB on Friday night… midfielder Jenny Rynders and forward Jill Knottek lead the team with 10 points each on four goals and a pair of assists… last weekend, the Blazers won matches at Charlotte, 3-1, and Louisville, 3-0… head coach Paul Harbin is in his eighth season in Birmingham… the series: UAB has won five of the six meetings between the two programs… the lone DePaul win was in 2000 with a 3-1 victory on the road… Sunday is the first meeting since a 4-0 UAB win at Wish Field during the 2001 season.
Looking Forward
DePaul plays the first of six straight road matches on Sept. 26 at Memphis. Following the Memphis match, the Blue Demons move on to UAB two days later. In two weeks, the club heads west for matches at Air Force and Colorado College. The road trip ends with C-USA games at Charlotte and East Carolina the weekend of Oct. 10.
The next home game is set for Oct. 17 against Cincinnati. It is the first of four consecutive home matches at Wish Field.
